Improvement in low-water indicators



27 frm/m.

N. PETERS, PHOTO UTHOG 'dntrd' gratta @wat Wire.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM W. ,Vinnun of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore, and in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Adjusting Low-Water Indicators; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of the boiler and float, showing my apparatus in place, and

Figure 2 is a vertical central section of the valve, valve-seat, and flexible joint, by which the former are gonnected, by means of a pipe, with the outside of said oiler.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the ligures.

My invention relates to a class of' devices known as low-water indicators, having for their object the giving of an alarm when the water in a boiler reaches the lowest point that safety will permit; and y It consists in the employment and construction of a weighted doat, so adjusted as to always rest upon and within the water, regardless of any foam that may arise, and which, through suitable mechanism, raises a valve, and permits the escapev of steam from the boiler, so as to sou'nd an alarm, when the water has fallen to a certain point.

It ralso consists in the employment andcnstruction of a valve, secured to and operated by the action. of the aforesaid float, saidvalve being slightly conical in shape, and fitting into a corresponding seat, and provided with suitable ports, which correspond with others in said seat, when said-valve is raised by the action of said oat, whereby steam is permittedto escape from said boiler, substantially as hereinafter described, and for the purpose -set forth.

It also consists in the employment and construction of a wheel, provided with a series of radlal arms, or oats,and pivoted within a suitable casing, through which the escaping steam is caused to pass and impart motion to said wheel, which, by means of a cam, or its equivalent, secured upon its axle, alternately raises and releases a hammer, which strikes upon a bell or gong, substantia y as andfor the purpose hereinafter described. v

In the annexed drawing- A represents the' boiler, which may be constructed in any of the usual forms.

A float, B, constructed of sheet-metal, and hermeticallyrsealed, is placed within said boiler, immediately f "above the dues, or the crown-sheet, where-it rises or falls with the water between suitable vertical-guides.

In order that said oat may rest upon and within the water, so as-nct to be affected by foaming, it is weighted downl by means of lead, b, placed within, until suciently immersed to'eiect the desired object.

WILLIAM W. VIRDlN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

Letters Patent No. 89,714, dated May 4, H569.

IMPROVEMENT IN LOW-WATER INDICATORS.

wh- The Schedule referred tovn these Letters Patent and makingpart: of' the same.

The balance of the space within said oat is filled with cork, or other light substance, for the purpose of keeping it distended.

Secured vertically within the centre of the float Bis a hollow cup, o r valve-seat, C, largest at the top, from whence it tapers slightly inward toward the bottom, and provided with a screw-cap, D, which is secured upon its top, so as to produce a steam-tight joint.

A valve, E, corresponding in outside shape to the interior of thevalve-seat, rests therein,and is provided with a spindle, e, which projects downward through an opening in the bottom of said valve-seat, and has pivoted to its lower end a roller, c.

The valve is somewhat less in height than the valveseat, so as to allow of its being raised, and has one or more openings, c, passing through its walls, which openings, when said valve is thus raised, correspond with similar openings through the walls ofthe valve-seat, and permit steam to enter said valve.

Secured to the upper side of the cover D, by means of a flexible joint, F, of usual construction, is one end of a pipe, G, the opposite end of which is secured in a similar manner to a hollow plug, H, passing upward through and attached to the shell of the boiler.

An opening, d, made through the centre of the cap' D, corresponds with a similar opening in the plug j, and, by means of the pipe Gand plug H, affords communication between the interior of the valve E and the outside of the boiler, so that if said valve be raised when there'is a pressure of steam Within the boiler, a portion of such steam will escape through said valve, pipe, and plug, into the open air.

From theforegoing description, it will be readily seen that if suitable means are provided, whereby the valve E shall be raised, so as to permit the escape of steam, when the water in the boiler has reached the lowest point deemed safe, and if other means are provided, by which such escaping steam shall sound an alarm, one of the greatest sources of danger from the use of boilers will be removed, as none will beso foolhardy as to fail in giving promptl attention to the boiler` when thus warned of the low stage of the water.

In order that the first-named object (the escape of steam) may be accomplished, it is only necessary that a suitable table, or stop, I, should be secured in a proper position beneath the float, so as to receive and arrest the stem of the valve, when the water and float have reached the desired level, while for sounding an alarm, a variety of means may be employed. I prefer, however, to cause a series of quick blows to be struck upon a bell or gong, so that from its dissimilarity to the ordinary' sounds heard in or around an engine-room, or

'upon a steamer, more immediate attention maybe secured.

To accomplish the latter object, I employ a wheel, K, provided with a series of radial arms, or oats, and

pivoted within a suitable case, or box, L, which is secured to one side, and forms part of a pipe, M, connected with the plug H, so that steam escaping through said pipe shall cause said wheel to rotate.

A bell or gong, N, is attached to the case L, and providedv with a hammer, n, placed upon the end of a spring, against which a cam, k, secured to and revolving With the axle of the wheel K, is caused to strike at each revolution of said Wheel, alternately raising and releasing said spring and hammer, and causing the latter to strike a quick succession of blows upon said bell, producing a sound similar to that of an alarmclock.

.For use upon a steamer, or Within a large manufactory, it may be desirable to have alarms placed in various places, so as to prevent the possibility of failure in securing immediate attention to the stateof water in the boiler, for which purpose I place a branch-pipe, 0 immediately above .the wheel K, and from said vbranch-pipe extend pipes to the points desired.

' When appliedto the boilers of a steamer, one pipe should terminate in the pilot-house, and be open at its end, so that the escaping steam, however small the quantity, may warn4 the pilot, when sounds might be lost in the noise and confusion of a storm.

It maybe found necessary to increase the Weight of the valve, in order to enable it to withstand the pressure of the steam upon the stern. In such an event, a weight, e", applied to said stem, will produce the deaired result.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention,

What I- claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The weighted float B, when constructed and arranged substantially as herein shown. p

Also, in combination with the weighted iioat B, the valve E, fitting into a corresponding seat, O, and operated hy-means of the spindle c, substantially as described and set forth.

Also, the construction and arrangement of the seat C and cover D, with reference to the valve E and joint F, substantially as herein shown and described.

Also, the within-described apparatus for indicating low water in a boiler, by the escape of steam therefrom, consisting of the weighted ioat B, valve E, provided with a suitable seat, G, and cover D, flexible joint F, pipe G, and plug H, all constructed and arranged substantially as herein shown and described, and, in cornbination therewith, the wheel K, pivoted within a suitable case, so as to be revolved by the escaping steam through the pipe M, and, by means of the cam k, se cured to the axis of said wheel, alternately raise and release the hammer of a bell, as herein specied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand, this 17th day of March, 1869.

Witnesses: W. W. VIRDIN.

Gno. S. PRINDLE, EDM. F. BROWN. 

